The 1969 Mercedes 280SL had begun the final stages of its testing since the engine and gearbox rebuild at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshops
The wheels on the 2012 Mercedes SLK have seen better days. There’s some corrosion and paint flaking around the hub centres which is a common
The Bridge Classic Cars 1995 Dodge Viper RT/10 will soon be headed to auction with auctioneers H&H Auctions. Here’s what H&H’s James McWilliam had to
The doors from the 1987 Daimler Double Six have been moved from the body shop to the paint shop at Bridge Classic Cars. The doors
The 1969 Bentley T1 is in the Bridge Classic Cars body shop to be reworked and perfected before it goes into the in-house paint booth.
The 1970 Bristol 411 which is in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop to be converted to left-hand drive has to have several important pieces
After the repairs to the boot floor of the 1987 Daimler Double Six – The Bridge Classic Cars teams have been working to make sure
Our 1992 Toyota MR2 has gone off to its new life with its new owner. The MR2 was bought by a young driver who got
The dashboard from the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona is in with the Bridge Classic Cars trim shop to be recovered after its reshaping by the
The restoration technicians in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop have the fantastic 1968 MGC Roadster currently on the ramp to complete several jobs on the
The final pieces for the 1965 Porsche 912 have gone into the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop to have their final coat of primer. The
The Bridge Classic Cars workshop in Pettistree have received a very important shipment today. Not only is it important for the technicians in the restoration
The latest arrival into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ is this beautiful 1957 MG A Roadster. Finished in fiery Red with
The workshop at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have been working on the 1968 MGC Roadster. Our technician Jon has been getting a series
The 1966 Jaguar MkII 3.8 which recently had its registration come through since its arrival from South Africa, has been given a completely clean bill
As the 1995 Dodge Viper RT10 heads from Bridge Classic Cars to the H&H Auctions, the workshop has fitted the important battery isolator. As with
Both the workshop and paint teams at Bridge Classic Cars have been working together to clean up and refinish several pieces for the 1979 Arrow
The 1965 Porsche 912 in with the paint and body team at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ has had the majority
The glovebox of the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona is being worked on by our restoration workshop at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ. It’s having
The 1970 Bristol 411 in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop is continuing with the modifications needed for its LHD conversion. Paul is working on
The Bridge Classic Cars fabrication shop have been working their way through the rust repairs on the 1987 Daimler Double Six. Monty has been cutting
The Bridge Classic Cars trim shop have been working to finish off the handmade cubby boxes for the 1955 Jensen 541. Brian has been making
Our 1959 MGA Twin Cam and 1979 Triumph Spitfires have found their very lucky new owners in last night’s live draw. Let’s go behind the
The 1978 MGB GT in with Bridge Classic Cars for restoration has been completely stripped back to bare metal to get a better look at
The in-house paint shop at Bridge Classic Cars have taken some of the parts from the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona to be refinished. With the
We are very excited that a 1976 Aston Martin AMV8 is making its way to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop from America. We recently purchased
The workshop technicians at Bridge Classic Cars have been getting to the bottom of the hydraulic issues with the 1963 Morris LD. Our technician Dave
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have given the boot trim panels of the classic 1980 Saab 99 Turbo a new lease of life
The 1966 Jaguar MkII is easily one of the best looking cars in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. The car has been checked over by
The interior trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been working through several pieces from the interior of the 1980 Saab 99 Turbo in for
The 1969 Mercedes 280SL had begun the final stages of its testing since the engine and gearbox rebuild at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshops at our Pettistree HQ. During that testing, our restoration technicians discovered a leak.
Part of the tests on the classic Pagoda was to pressurise the cooling system of the car. During that crucial test, our technician John discovered a leak coming from underneath the dashboard. Removing various pieces of trim, he discovered the heater matrix for the car was leaking due to previous poor repairs at some point in the car’s life. With that, the heater matrix was removed from the car to be fully inspected.
After the inspection, it has been sent away to a Radiator and Heater Matrix specialist to be refurbished for the car.
The wheels on the 2012 Mercedes SLK have seen better days. There’s some corrosion and paint flaking around the hub centres which is a common occurrence on this generation of Mercedes wheels. But, they can be refurbished!
Our good friends over at WheelWorx came down to the Pettistree workshop to assess the wheels and then safely remove them from the car to be taken back to their workshops to be entirely refurbished for this beautiful modern Mercedes convertible. Once these are back on the car, we can’t wait to show you the rest of it.
The Bridge Classic Cars 1995 Dodge Viper RT/10 will soon be headed to auction with auctioneers H&H Auctions.
Here’s what H&H’s James McWilliam had to say about our Viper:
”Wonderfully politically incorrect, the Dodge Viper was launched in January 1992. A pure American muscle car, it was conceived by Bob Lutz, Tom Gale, Francois Castaing and Carroll Shelby. Built around a tubular steel backbone frame equipped with all round double-wishbone independent suspension, vented disc brakes and power-assisted rack and pinion steering, it did without ABS or a traction control system. Extensively reworked by Lamborghini (another Chrysler subsidiary at the time), its 8 litre V10 former truck engine gained a new aluminium block and cylinder heads. Quoted as developing some 400bhp and 465lbft of torque, it was mated to a six-speed Borg Warner T-56 manual gearbox. Clad in lightweight resin transfer moulding glassfibre body panels, the targa-roofed RT/10 claimed a 0-60mph time of 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 165mph. Remaining in production until 2017, the Viper has long since attracted a cult following (though, later versions came with a far fuller complement of driver-aid electronics).
Finished in the eye-catching combination of Viper Red with White racing stripes and Dark Grey leather upholstery, ‘M2 EKO’ was imported from its native America in 2020. Riding on ‘chrome effect’ 18-inch alloys shod with low profile tyres, the two-seater features a removable roof panel and side windows and shows just 31,500 miles to its odometer. The steering wheel and seats are said to be in ‘incredible’ condition with minimal signs of wear. Reportedly a real ‘head turner’ whenever it is seen or heard in public, the Alpine stereo has its work cut out competing with the formidable 8 litre V10 rumble which emanates from the side pipe exhausts! Offered for sale with the original drivers’ pack, 2 sets of keys and V5C document. It is estimated that less than 100 Dodge Vipers are currently registered for UK road use.”
The car is presented for auction at the Imperial War Museum on Wednesday March 16th 2022. To view the car or to register your interest, click the link below.
View the 1995 Dodge Viper RT/10 at the H&H Imperial War Museum 2022 auction.
The doors from the 1987 Daimler Double Six have been moved from the body shop to the paint shop at Bridge Classic Cars.
The doors have been prepared for their first coat of primer before being taken back through into the body shop to be perfected and shaped in anticipation for the body shell to be moved into the department from the fabrication shop and readied for primer.
The 1969 Bentley T1 is in the Bridge Classic Cars body shop to be reworked and perfected before it goes into the in-house paint booth.
The body shop team have been working on sanding and minimally filling the panels on the classic Bentley to ensure each body line and panel seamlessly blends into the next from the front to the back of the car.
Once the preparations are completed, the car will go back into the paint booth and then the team will move onto the next process.
The 1970 Bristol 411 which is in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop to be converted to left-hand drive has to have several important pieces in the engine bay modified to fit the application.
One of these pieces is the heater box of the classic Bristol. The inlets and outlets of the heater box, once it has been rotated during its relocation across the firewall, were in entirely the wrong orientation. This means that our restoration technicians have had to modify and relocate each of the individual outlets. Along with that, other openings in the heater box has had to be blanked off and reopened 180 degrees out.
After the repairs to the boot floor of the 1987 Daimler Double Six – The Bridge Classic Cars teams have been working to make sure everything is sealed up tight.
The body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been underneath the and in the boot of the classic Daimler to seal any joints between the panels which make up the boot floor. This is crucial for the longevity of not just our repairs on the car but the longevity of the whole car itself.
Our 1992 Toyota MR2 has gone off to its new life with its new owner.
The MR2 was bought by a young driver who got the car not only to use as an enthusiast but also as a future investment in a quickly appreciating modern classic. It’s always nice to see one of our classics go to a true enthusiast and we wish them many happy years with the car.
Remember to check out our new sales platform if you are in the market for either buying or selling your classic! No fees to sell, no fees to buy. Check out MyClassics
The dashboard from the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona is in with the Bridge Classic Cars trim shop to be recovered after its reshaping by the restoration technicians.
The dashboard has undergone several modifications and revisions while in the body shop, so with that, it has gone upstairs to our in-house trim shop to be retrimmed in black vinyl. This retrim is completely bespoke to the dash with every hole, seam and panel hand-cut and templated by the team.
Lydia made individual templates for each piece using reference materials and photos of the original Daytona pieces to first test fit for the vinyl pieces, and so that any revisions could be made to create an entire piece that fit the dashboard perfectly for the classic Daytona replica.
The restoration technicians in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop have the fantastic 1968 MGC Roadster currently on the ramp to complete several jobs on the car. This time, it’s tidying up the wiring in the engine bay.
Jon has been methodically going through the wiring under the bonnet of the classic convertible sports car to make sure everything not only works correctly but is safely routed around the engine bay. System by system, he has grouped together separate parts of the harness and shielded them where necessary.
The final pieces for the 1965 Porsche 912 have gone into the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop to have their final coat of primer.
The body shop team have worked on perfecting the shape and surface of the bumpers and valance panel from the classic Porsche before it went into the paint booth. This involved hours of shaping and sanding to get each individual piece to the correct shape.
Then, once each had been perfectly cleaned and prepared, Alan could lay the final coats of high build primer on the panels in preparation for the beginning of the colour process.
The Bridge Classic Cars workshop in Pettistree have received a very important shipment today. Not only is it important for the technicians in the restoration of the 1954 Bristol 405, but its important for the car itself.
The team at Bridge Classic Cars have managed to track down the car’s original engine. That’s right, this is the correct engine for the classic Bristol. The car is currently fitted with the engine from a Triumph TR6, but as part of the restoration of the car, its original heart will be put back into the 1950s GT car to live out the rest of its years with.
We’re excited to show you more on the 1954 Bristol 405 project very soon but for now, we get to marvel at the glorious Bristol straight-six.
The latest arrival into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ is this beautiful 1957 MG A Roadster. Finished in fiery Red with contrasting white hardtop and wire wheels and perfectly aged red interior.
The car will soon go into the various departments to be inspected and assessed to see if anything needs to be done to this gorgeous 1950s sports car to get it running as good as it looks. Once the teams have looked through the car and given their report, you’ll see much more on this wonderful car here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.
The workshop at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have been working on the 1968 MGC Roadster.
Our technician Jon has been getting a series of jobs completed on the rare roadster ahead of its departure from the workshop. Jon has been adjusting the door handles for the car and realigning the strikers so that when the handle is pulled or the door is pushed back into place there’s no binding up of any of the mechanisms.
He has also been making sure all of the rear lights are secured into the car and that each and every function of the clusters works just at it should do.
The 1966 Jaguar MkII 3.8 which recently had its registration come through since its arrival from South Africa, has been given a completely clean bill of health by our restoration technicians.
The workshop has checked over the entire car and road-tested the big MkII before its new future…
This is the latest Bridge Classic Cars Competitions prize! Head over to the Competitions website for your chance to win this incredible 1966 Jaguar MkII 3.8.
As the 1995 Dodge Viper RT10 heads from Bridge Classic Cars to the H&H Auctions, the workshop has fitted the important battery isolator.
As with all our classics and specialist cars, the workshop has fitted a battery isolator to the car. This is so when the car is being stored it won’t have any slow battery drains and also keep the car’s battery in the best possible condition with its new owner.
We get asked by a lot of our restoration clients to fit battery isolators/kill switches to cars. So, if you’re classic would benefit from this upgrade please get in touch!
Both the workshop and paint teams at Bridge Classic Cars have been working together to clean up and refinish several pieces for the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona.
The parts from the engine bay of the Daytona were meticulously sanded, cleaned and prepared the pieces before they were taken into our spray booth to be refinished in glossy and matte black depending on the piece.
After the pieces had completely cured and hardened, the workshop team could begin putting the parts back together and ready to be put back into the car.
The 1965 Porsche 912 in with the paint and body team at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ has had the majority of its part now sprayed in the final stage of primer.
Alan has been working on the classic Porsche to completely overhaul the car’s bodywork. After several rounds of sanding, priming, resanding and so on the 912 is looking incredible. The majority of the parts, panels and the bodyshell have been in the spray booth to receive its final coats of primer.
The car has been shot in an even and crucial layer of high-build primer before the paint team lay down the first coats of colour on this beautiful classic Porsche.
The glovebox of the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona is being worked on by our restoration workshop at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ. It’s having some modifications done to give this piece of the car the perfect fit.
Scott has been in charge of working on the fibreglass pieces of the dash to get the entire dash (and all the pieces) fitting perfectly and as close to an original Daytona as possible. Scott has had to cut and section the glovebox door to allow the pieces to have a uniform opening and close lines for that complete and flawless fit you would expect from a restored Daytona.
The Bridge Classic Cars restoration technicians have an excellent of understanding working with composites (especially Fibreglass) due to our extensive work on the Jensen 541 family of cars. So, working on the Fibreglass 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona means we can make sure that the fit and finish of the entire car is perfect.
The 1970 Bristol 411 in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop is continuing with the modifications needed for its LHD conversion.
Paul is working on moving each of the components over from one side of the engine bay to the other. This not only involves modifying the firewall/bulkhead but also the components themselves. A lot of the pieces needed to be adapted for left-hand drive use by being rotated and changed in order for the necessary lines and vents to line up after moving from one side of the car to another.
All of these pieces are first test fit onto the car before being welded in to complete the conversion on this unique 1970 Bristol 411.
The Bridge Classic Cars fabrication shop have been working their way through the rust repairs on the 1987 Daimler Double Six.
Monty has been cutting out the corroded metal in the boot floor of the classic Daimler. Using the pieces cut out of the boot, he created new pieces for the car which were then test fitted to check before being welded in. The hand-made floor patch also had the strengthening beads rolled into the material to follow the original channels in the existing floor to create one complete uniform piece once painted.
A small patch panel also needed to be made for an area of corrosion behind the fuel tank. Like the others, the area was cut out and rust treated before the new piece was welded in.
The Bridge Classic Cars trim shop have been working to finish off the handmade cubby boxes for the 1955 Jensen 541.
Brian has been making the lids for the new cubby boxes. This involves hand finishing the recesses in the lids for the brand new hinges to get the lids to sit perfectly flat onto the bases. He also created the recess in the top to fit the ashtray, this has all been done and finished by hand to give the best possible result for the car.
Along with these pieces, Brian has created the metal base for the cubby boxes. This was then wrapped in black vinyl to match the colour of the interior of the box and give one single uniform look to the boxes.
Our 1959 MGA Twin Cam and 1979 Triumph Spitfires have found their very lucky new owners in last night’s live draw. Let’s go behind the scenes…
For this live draw, it was just the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions team. At the closing time for tickets of 630pm, there were still 1100 tickets remaining on the MGA Twin Cam and around 400 on the Spitfire – which means incredible odds for those who had entered. But, none of us knew just who the new owners would be.
After the customary walk around of the cars in our new competition building, talking to our incredible audience on our live stream, it was time to find out who lady luck was smiling on last night. As always, we use a Random Number Generator in order to select the ticket numbers from the pre-published entry lists which are available to view before the draw.
First up was the stunning Inca Yellow 1979 Triumph Spitfire, one of the best sounding cars that we have ever had in with its upgraded stainless steel system, the sound matches its striking good looks. As the numbers were loaded into the random number generator, anticipation built. Then, with a wiring flash on the new big-screen monitor, the number appeared. 2170. This particular ticket was allocated to Neil James. The new, very lucky owner of the 1979 Inca Yellow Triumph Spitfire.
Without holding up proceedings, everyone wanted to know who was going to win the 1959 MGA Twin Cam. A car with possibly one of the best backstories we have ever had in. A true race car from its earliest days and then a classic sports car connection between a father, a son and a racing team. XLE40, the 1959 MGA Twin Cam has got an incredible history (which you can read about here). But, we were here to find out who its latest custodian was. Hayley input the numbers into the generator, and with a single click, the fate of the MGA Twin Cam had been decided. The screen showed 3476. The ticket number bought by Peter Leyland. The MGA Twin Cam’s new owner.
As a custom, we call the winners on the live stream. Unfortunately, Neil didn’t answer the phone. But Peter did. Hayley and the team had a chat with him, a true MG enthusiast at heart. He was overwhelmed with his new addition.
Soon, these two will be heading off to their new lives away from us with their wonderful new owners to adore.
Remember, you too could join the list of over 70+ people who have won with us. Head over to the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website and enter now!
The 1978 MGB GT in with Bridge Classic Cars for restoration has been completely stripped back to bare metal to get a better look at the condition of the body shell.
As you can see, the car is going to need some repairs in several places. This will be done with the various brand new reproduction body panels, then this classic sports car will be back together and ready for its bodywork and paintwork by the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop.
The in-house paint shop at Bridge Classic Cars have taken some of the parts from the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona to be refinished.
With the Arrow Daytona project making great progress, some of the parts from the iconic car have been taken from our restoration workshop into the paint shop to be prepared for refinishing. Alan, has worked on sanding down and cleaning each part individually ready for its time in the paint booth.
Each of the pieces was hung and then shot in a heavy-duty and durable satin black to match the rest of the pieces in the car. These will be packaged and put into storage for when the project calls for them.
We are very excited that a 1976 Aston Martin AMV8 is making its way to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop from America.
We recently purchased the car at an auction and plans are now being made for its travel over the Atlantic, so we can get to work on bringing it back to its former glory.
The workshop technicians at Bridge Classic Cars have been getting to the bottom of the hydraulic issues with the 1963 Morris LD.
Our technician Dave has been inspecting the entire hydraulic system in the 1963 Morris LD Van in with us for a list of jobs. The owner has stated an issue with the brakes binding/getting hot along with the clutch being entirely inoperable.
During the inspection, Dave found a lot of the hydraulic system to be quite heavily corroded. The brakes and the clutch system on the LD share the same hydraulic system but in this car, several pipes from the reservoir and the master cylinder were so corroded they had begun to leak.
On further inspection, the technicians believe the clutch and brakes are ok but have been removed to be inspected and refurbished if needed. Along with that, all of the hardware associated with the front drums brakes (including the shoes) have been removed to be inspected and refurbished if needed.
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have given the boot trim panels of the classic 1980 Saab 99 Turbo a new lease of life with a full recovering in glossy black.
Brian carefully stripped back the old coverings on the boot panels to assess the panels underneath. Once the trim team could inspect the panels for any damage but all were in good order underneath their covers.
Using the pieces as templates, the trim shop made new perfect fitting covers for the car which will then be put into storage for when the restoration project is complete.
The 1966 Jaguar MkII is easily one of the best looking cars in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. The car has been checked over by our restoration technicians with a clean bill of health so it was time to get it photographed because this MkII, is our latest Bridge Classic Cars Competitions classic up for grabs.
This 1966 Jaguar MkII has a purposeful look but also an elegance to it so the photoshoot that Freddie and Hayley created for the car definitely personifies this part of the car’s personality. This colour combination of White over Grey Leather really does sum up the phrase of ”Grace, Space and Pace” which was so closely connected to the MkII.
The winter sun gave off not only the perfect light for the car but the best angles to truly capture this stunning piece of automotive history. The car from any angle looks incredible but the photos shot near our secure storage facility, The Hangar, are the closest anyone has got to truly being able to show how beautiful this car is in real life.
And to go with those good looks, the 3.8-litre straight-six. The beating heart of the big MkII’s and the reason why in the 1960s, the bank robbers wanted them and the coppers had to have them. The MkII blends the lines between a large 4 door sports car and a wonderful long-legged GT car. At home at both the pub car park, the village green or outrunning the old bill after doing a ”big job”.
Today in 2022, the now 56-year-old Jaguar still has the ability to turn heads and command the road wherever it goes. And, it could all be yours very soon.
The interior trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been working through several pieces from the interior of the 1980 Saab 99 Turbo in for restoration.
The original C Pillar caps had split, cracked and began to degrade so the trim team stripped the pieces back to the foam. Using the original coverings as templates, the trim team could make new coverings for the caps. The foam itself was also cleaned up before the new material was glued on and fitted to the pieces.
Bridge Classic Cars are award winning Classic Car Restoration and Maintenance specialists. Your pride and joy is in safe hands with our expert Classic Car Technicians. Take a look at our awards here.
